Crystal Hearts
by DrkChapel
Summary: An Ryoga/Ukyo love story. Ryoga runs across a mysterious crystal pendant that causes trouble for him and Ukyo. (Chapter 4 partially rewritten)
1. Clarity

Crystal Hearts  
By Esor

  
  


**Chapter 1: Clarity**

It was a warm, spring day. The sun was shining brightly in the cloudless blue sky. The sweet fragrance of wild flowers in bloom was carried on the cool breeze. The sounds of birds singing cheerfully rang through the open air. This was the type of day that seemed just perfect for taking a long, leisurely stroll with that special someone in your life. This fact was not lost on Ryoga Hibiki, who walked alone along the scenic country road.

He glanced over his shoulder, back in the direction he had just come from. Maybe it's not too late, he thought. Maybe he could still go back. Maybe Akari would still be there, waiting for him. He shook his head, dispelling those thoughts, and began walking again. He couldn't go back. Not to the farm. Not to the pigs. He just couldn't. He had tried to make it work for over a year now, and for a while it almost did. But the more time he spent with Akari, the more he realized just how much her life revolved around pigs. It wasn't just about her family's sumo pig farm, it was nearly all she talked about, all she thought about. And Ryoga utterly detested pigs.

Of course it seemed great at first. Here was a woman who absolutely loved pigs. The one thing that Ryoga hated most about himself was his curse. Changing into a small black piglet when splashed by cold water wasn't a trait that many women looked for when choosing a boyfriend. But Akari didn't mind. In fact, she seemed to love him even more because of it. And that was the core of the problem. It wasn't just the fact that Ryoga hated pigs that drove him away, because he could have eventually gotten over that. It was the realization that Akari loved him more for what he was, not who he was. Anytime he even mentioned the idea of finding a cure for himself, she would immediately tell him that she loved him just the way he was and then try to distract him with something else, usually involving the pigs on the farm. Ryoga thought it was almost as if she didn't want him to be cured, but ignored that suspicion as soon as it arose. But then, several weeks ago, Akari proposed the idea that Ryoga use his cursed form to help train the other pigs. That was something he refused to do, yet she continued to bring the topic up, repeatedly. 

Earlier that day, Ryoga told Akari it was over between them. It was one of the hardest things he had ever done, but it was necessary. Ryoga knew that he could never be happy there, and remaining with her would only cause them both pain. She needed someone who could be willing to dedicate their entire life to pigs, and he needed someone who could love him for himself. She cried and begged him to stay, but he refused. With a heavy heart, he shouldered his backpack and left the Unryuu farm. Now he traveled with no particular destination in mind. The only other place he had spent that much time in was Nerima. Absently, he looked up at the sky and wondered how everyone there was doing.

*****

Morning. It was usually Ukyo Kounji's favorite time of the day. Usually, she loved mornings. She loved to wake up to the sight of the sun's rays beaming through her window. She loved the smell of cooking okonomiyaki as she made breakfast for herself and Konatsu. Each morning was a new beginning, filled with new possibilities. This morning, however, would prove that those new possibilities weren't always good. 

Ukyo awoke early this morning, just like every day. She showered, dressed, and headed downstairs to fix breakfast, just like every day. And, just like everyday, she expected Konatsu to come down and join her. They would eat, open up Ucchan's for the breakfast crowd, and then she would leave for school while he ran the restaurant until she came back in the afternoon. But after waiting for half an hour, Ukyo became worried. Konatsu was never this late for breakfast. More often than not he was up earlier than she was, waiting for her instead of the other way around. Thinking that he might be sick, she headed upstairs. 

"Konatsu?" Ukyo said, knocking on his door. After receiving no response from him, she knocked again. "It's me, Ukyo. Are you okay?" 

When there was still no reply, Ukyo opened the door and gasped at what she saw. The room was empty. Everything that Konatsu owned, even though it wasn't much, was gone. The only thing he left in the room was a note lying on the bed. Ukyo walked over and picked it up with a trembling hand.

"Dear Ukyo, I'm sorry, but I can't do this. My heart can't take it anymore. I love you, Ukyo. And I hoped that one day you would return that love. But it has become painfully obvious that you will never see me as anything other than a friend. That is why I can no longer work at Ucchan's. You ran the restaurant well before I arrived, and I have no doubt that you will run it well after I depart. I bear you no hard feelings Ukyo. You had no control over falling for Ranma, just as I had no control over falling for you. I only hope that someday you'll find the happiness that you deserve. Love, Konatsu."

Ukyo sat down on the bed, dumbfounded. Konatsu was gone, possibly forever. He had been acting strange the past few days, but she had no idea he would end up doing something like this. She couldn't believe it. After a few minutes, she stood up and looked around the room. Konatsu was gone, she told herself again. She would have to adapt to this. She was Ukyo Kounji. When an unexpected problem came up, that was what she did. She adapted and remained in control of the situation, and herself, no matter how upset she might be on the inside. Slowly, she walked toward the door. Just before leaving, she looked back one last time at the empty room. Wherever Konatsu was, she hoped he was okay. He was still her friend, and to be honest, she didn't really have that many. Then she turned and left, softly closing the door behind her.

*****

The door opened, ringing a tiny bell attached to the frame. Ryoga walked in, hoping that there would be someone who could tell him where he was at the moment. At some point, his scenic country road had become a bustling city street. According to the map he had brought with him, the road he had been traveling on should not have taken him within ten miles of any large cities. So he figured it would be best to ask someone else for directions.

Glancing around, Ryoga noted that he was in what appeared to be a jewelry store, but it seemed to be empty at the moment. He was just about to leave when he heard noises coming from the back of the store. Someone called out for help, and the sounds of a struggle followed. Ryoga's innate sense of justice kicked in, and he leapt over the counter without a second thought. 

In the back of the store, Ryoga saw an elderly man who he assumed to be the store keeper, being slammed against the wall by a large, well muscled, man dressed in black. Another shorter man with a thin build, also dressed in black, was rummaging through a few crates off to the side.

"Let him go." Ryoga said, in a menacing voice.

"Who the hell are you?" The shorter man said. "Listen kid, I think you'd better mind your own damn business before you get hurt."

Ryoga simply glared at the man and repeated his request. "Let him go. Now."

"Your funeral, kid." The thin man said with a shrug before launching a roundhouse kick at Ryoga's head.

Ryoga did not move. He reached his up and caught the man's leg with his hand in mid flight. With a flick of the wrist, Ryoga tossed the man on his back. With a grunt, the man stood again and threw himself at Ryoga, punching and kicking. The man was quick, Ryoga could admit, but his martial arts training was rudimentary at best. His attacks were reckless, and he left gaping holes in his defense. Ryoga took advantage of one of those holes to deliver a single crushing blow to the man's face. The man's now broken nose gushed blood as he toppled over.

The larger man, who hadn't moved while his partner dealt with this intruder, was now livid with rage. He dropped the older man and moved to attack Ryoga himself. Unlike his previous opponent, Ryoga could see that this man held much more than a basic grasp of martial arts techniques. Combined with his obvious strength, he would have even been a force to be reckoned with to any normal person. But Ryoga wasn't any normal person. Decades of dedicated training had made Ryoga one of the most skilled martial artists in Japan, if not the world. He dodged the man's attacks with ease, allowing none of the strikes to land. Then he kneed the man in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain. Ryoga grabbed the man by the shirt and, with one hand, lifted him into the air and threw him out of the door. The smaller man had regained consciousness by this point and, clutching his still bleeding nose, ran out of the door behind his companion.

After watching the two would be thieves flee with a smirk on his face, Ryoga helped the old man up.

"Are you all right, sir?" He asked politely.

"I am, thanks to you." The old man replied. "Those punks would have probably stolen everything if you hadn't arrived."

"I'm glad to help. By the way, can you tell me where I am?" Ryoga asked.

The old man looked slightly puzzled by Ryoga's question. "You're in Osaka, son."

"Thank you very much, sir." Ryoga said before turning to leave.

The old man stopped him, however. "Wait just a moment, young man. You deserve some type of reward for saving me back there."

"Don't worry about it. I was just doing the right thing." 

"Nonsense. You don't find too many people like you around nowadays." The old man reached into one of the crates that hadn't been searched by the robbers. "I insist." He pulled out a small crystal pendant, shaped like a teardrop and about the size of Ryoga's thumb. "It's the least I can do."

Ryoga thanked the old man and took the pendant. As he looked at it, a strange shiver ran up his spine. There was something about this pendant. Something strange that he couldn't quite put his finger on. For a brief second his hand tingled slightly. Almost as if the pendant were giving off some kind faint energy. But the feeling passed quickly, and Ryoga shrugged it off. Placing the crystal pendant in his backpack, Ryoga thanked the man once more and promptly walked into a closet. Ryoga emerged from the closet, laughing nervously, and this time the storekeeper walked him to the front door of the building.

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_Author's notes:_

_There it is! The first chapter of Crystal Hearts, my contribution to the world of Ryoga/Ukyo fanfiction! I've read tons of the stuff, and finally decided to write one of my own. Hopefully, I didn't unconsciously rip off too many other authors... ^_^ R&R welcome, but remember that I'm still an amateur writer, so please don't tear my work apart too much. In the next chapter, Ryoga finally returns to Nerima. See ya then! _


	2. On The Mend

Crystal Hearts  
By Esor  
  


**Chapter 2: On the Mend**

[One week ago]

A short and rather weasely looking man with a bandage on his nose stood just before a large desk in a room dimly lit by several candles. He was fidgeting rather nervously. On the other side of the desk another man sat, glaring.

"So what you're saying, Mr. Yagami," The sitting man began. "is that you ran away..."

"Well...the guy was strong. He..." Yagami said.

"I don't care!" The sitting man roared. "I hired you to complete a simple task. Retrieve a single pendant from a jewelry store. You failed!"

"But sir, I..."

"Silence!" The sitting man stood and walked over to a nearby window, gazing up at the full moon overhead. After a few moments, he regained his composure. "You told me that you could do this job. I am very displeased with you, Mr. Yagami." He fixed the smaller man with an icy glare.

Yagami paled considerably. There were many stories about what this man did to those who angered him. "Please give me one more chance!" He pleaded.

The other man considered this for some, all the while his eyes continued to bore into Yagami. "Very well. You still may prove useful, if I hire someone who is actually competent to work with you. And I have just the person in mind."

"Th-thank you..." Yagami said, relieved.

"I will make these instructions as simple as possible. Once you contact your new 'partner', return to Osaka. If the pendant is no longer there, then bring in as much help as you need and search all of Japan until you find it. Understood?"

"Yes sir. Perfectly."

"Then go. And do not disappoint me again."

With that, Yagami left the room as fast as they possibly could. The other man simply turned his gave once more to the moon hanging in the night sky. He was close to success. He was so close that he could almost taste it. He would let no one stand in his way. Least of all, an annoying bandanna clad boy. If this boy attempted to stand in his way again, he would have to be dealt with.

*****

[Today]

Ukyo stood behind the grill at Ucchan's, happily serving okonomiyaki to her mid-afternoon customers. It had been a week since Konatsu left and aside from the drop in profit that came from the restaurant closing while Ukyo was at school, business was running smoothly. While a few young men were rather disappointed at the departure of "that pretty waitress", the quality of the food and cook's friendly disposition was more than enough to keep them coming back. Movement near the door caught Ukyo's attention. Cook and customer both easily recognized the newcomer by his red Chinese shirt and black hair tied into a pig tail.

"Ranchan!" Ukyo called, waving in his direction.

For a moment, Ukyo thought back on the event that almost ruined her relationship with Ranma. One year, it seemed like such a long time ago. In an act of desperation, Ukyo helped Shampoo and Kodachi crash Ranma and Akane's wedding, attacking Akane in the process. Ukyo was ashamed of what she had done. She had always thought of herself as being above such behavior. But when faced with the very real possibility of losing Ranma once and for all, she lost control of herself. In time, however, Akane and Ranma both eventually forgave Ukyo. Of all Ranma's other fiances, Ukyo liked Akane the most. Under different circumstances, the two of them could have been close friends.

Ranma took his usual seat at the counter, but Ukyo could tell that something was wrong. He wasn't acting like himself. No cheery "Hiya Ucchan!". No grumbling about violent macho tomboys. Yes, something was definitely wrong. Ukyo fixed Ranma's favorite dish and handed it to him.

"What's wrong, Ranchan?" She asked, looking at him with concern.

Ranma turned his head, avoiding her gaze. Whatever was going on, it was serious. Ukyo had never seen Ranma act this way before.

"Ucchan, I..." He lifted his eyes to her face for a moment, then sighed softly and looked away again. "I have...something to tell you..."

*****

Ryoga, meanwhile, once again found himself walking down a city street. He wasn't exactly sure where he was at the time, but it seemed familiar. That of course didn't matter much, considering he had crisscrossed Japan at least a dozen times during his life. The strange sense of deja vu lingered as Ryoga made his way through the city. Ryoga glanced up as he passed a house and froze in his tracks. Through the window of the house, he could see a girl happily talking to someone on the phone. It was Akane. When she noticed him standing outside she waved and hung up the phone. A few moments later, she was hugging him.

"Ryoga!!" She said. "How have you been? I haven't seen you for such a long time!"

Ryoga, for the most part, was in shock. He hadn't expected to see Akane again. When he left to be with Akari, he told Ranma that he was giving up on Akane. Sure it was hard, but he knew that it was the best thing to do. While he was living with Akari, Ryoga tried not to think about Akane much. But now that Akari was gone and Akane was here in his arms, he realized that he still loved the youngest Tendo girl.

Akane grabbed Ryoga by the arm and led him to the house. "Come on in! We have so much to catch up on!" Ryoga followed Akane and sat down next to her when they reached the living room. 

"So Ryoga, how's Akari?" Akane asked.

"She...well...we broke up a little while ago..." Ryoga said sadly.

"Oh...I'm sorry Ryoga." She placed her hand on his softly. "I'm sure you'll find someone, you're a very special guy Ryoga. Any girl would be lucky to have a guy like you." She smiled warmly at him.

Ryoga smiled back. She was just as kind, sweet, and beautiful as he remembered her. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn't too late. He could still tell her how he felt about her. There might still be a chance for the two of them to be together. That's when he looked down to her hand on his and noticed the diamond ring for the first time.

"Hey Akane...what's that?" He said, gesturing to the ring.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" She said excitedly. "You'll never guess what happened! Yesterday Ranma proposed to me!"

Ryoga suddenly felt cold inside. "And you...you accepted...?"

"Yeah! We're engaged! A real engagement, not one arranged by our parents! I'm so happy, Ryoga!!" Akane threw her arms around Ryoga again, who felt his world shatter into pieces around him. He could hear it in Akane's voice. See it in her eyes. The one thing that he'd always pretended not to notice. She loved Ranma. 

The rest of the conversation was a blur to Ryoga. His mind kept centering around one thing. Ranma proposed and Akane accepted. The few hopes that he had began to entertain again of maybe winning Akane were dashed. The only thing he could ever be to her was a friend. He was alone again, just like always. When Akane went into the kitchen to get something to drink, Ryoga stood up and went to the door. He could already feel his ki building, surging within him. If he was lucky, maybe he could be out of town before he ran into anyone else, especially Ranma. He lifted his backpack and left quietly.

*****

"I...I love Akane..." Ranma said.

Ukyo closed her eyes, silently trying to fight off the feeling of emptiness spreading through her.

"And she loves me." Ranma continued. "The other day...I proposed to her. We're gonna get married..."

Ukyo's hands balled into fists at her side. This couldn't be happening. There was no way Ranma could choose Akane over her. She was the cute fiancé. 

"I never meant to hurt you Ucchan. I really didn't. I care about you, and I hope we can still be friends..." Ranma said hopefully.

Friends. That was all Ukyo had ever been to Ranma. A friend. She had never wanted to admit it, but the truth lay right before her. He was marrying Akane. The contest was over and Ukyo Kounji had lost. Her thoughts once again went back to the events of last year. She recalled all the pain, the anger, and the shame. There was no way she would let things play out like that again. She unclenched her fists, took a deep breath and looked into Ranma's eyes.

"I'm...happy for you. Both of you..." She said with a tiny, sad smile.

Ranma looked back at her with concern. "Are you gonna be okay?"

Ukyo looked away, unable to meet his gaze any longer. "Yeah...I will be..."

"I gotta go, Ucchan. We'll talk later, okay?" Ranma grasped her hand with a friendly squeeze. Then he left the restaurant. 

Ukyo watched sadly as ten years of her life walked out the door. She was completely alone. First she lost Konatsu, and now she had lost Ranma. Part of her wanted to just break down and cry. But that wasn't an option at the moment. It was the middle of the afternoon, one of the restaurant's busiest times of day, and she had a job to do. Her hands began moving almost unconsciously, preparing the meals that her hungry customers came to eat. After wiping away the single tear that rolled down her cheek, Ukyo pushed all thoughts of Ranma into the back of her mind.

*****

The world is a cold, dark, and lonely place. This was the mantra that Ryoga Hibiki lived by. It was the one constant in his life. Luckily, he'd been able to make to a forest where he could safely release a few Shishi Houkoudans. After that he spent the next several hours wandering without bothering to care where he was headed. Daylight vanished into darkness as the trees and grass of the forest eventually gave way to telephone poles and asphalt, but Ryoga barely noticed. 

Ryoga did, however, notice the delicious aroma of food that lingered in the air. This in turn, drew his attention to the gnawing hunger in the pit of his stomach. He followed the scent back to a little restaurant which was thankfully still open. There were only a few customers left, finishing their meals. Behind the counter, a girl with long brown hair tied by a white ribbon stood, her back to Ryoga, cleaning up the kitchen area of the restaurant. Had Ryoga not been so emotionally and physically exhausted, he probably would have realized where he was and just who was standing in front of him. But instead he just sat down at the counter.

"Um....excuse me...." Ryoga said hesitantly.

"Be with you in a minute, sugar." Ukyo replied. She then wiped her eyes on her sleeve. There weren't many customers left to occupy her attention, and Ukyo had found herself thinking about Ranma again.

The facts finally came together in Ryoga's mind. "Ukyo? Is that you?" He said.

Ukyo turned around and looked at the lost boy, startled. "Ryoga? When did you get back?"

"You mean I'm still in Nerima?" Ryoga asked glumly.

"Yeah. Didn't know that was such a bad thing." Ukyo joked. She knew how Ryoga dealt with his depression and didn't want to risk destroying her store by telling him about Ranma and Akane's official engagement just yet.

"Sorry. It's just that I wanted to away from here." Ryoga looked down. "I was at the Tendo Dojo earlier, and..." He trailed off, his body beginning to glow faintly.

Ukyo realized what must have happened and quickly cooked up something for him to eat along with a glass of water to drink. Hopefully the food would help him calm down. Ryoga, after managing to get himself under control, thanked Ukyo and started eating.

"So...I guess you heard by now..." Ryoga said between bites.

"About Ranma and Akane? Yeah, I did." Ukyo replied.

"What are you going to do now?" 

Ukyo remembered the conversation she had with Ranma earlier that day. "Move on, I guess." She laughed a soft, bitter laugh. "There's not much more I can do. After devoting over a decade of my life to Ranma, this is how it's going to end." She shook her head. "It's hard, but it's the best thing to do. What about you?"

Ryoga moodily poked at his food. "That's what I've been asking myself. For the past several years, I always had a purpose, something to focus on. Getting revenge on Ranma, telling Akane how I feel about her, making it work with Akari. But I never succeeded at any of it." His lips curled into a self mocking smirk. "And now I don't have anything..."

The two victims of love sat in silence for a few minutes. The few remaining customers in Ucchan's paid their bills and left. Eventually, Ryoga finished his food also and was preparing to leave as well when a hand on his arm stopped him. Ukyo bit her lower lip nervously. She had an idea, and she wasn't quite sure how Ryoga would react to it. But frankly, she didn't want to be alone right now. She needed a friend, and from the looks of it so did he.

"Hey Ryoga..." She began. "...you can stay here, if you want..."

Ryoga stared at her for a moment, confused. "Stay here?"

"Yeah. I mean, you don't really have anywhere else to go right now, right?"

"Well...no..."

"You could stay in Konatsu's room. And I could use some help around the restaurant. So what do you say?"

Ryoga thought about it. She was right, he didn't have anywhere else to go. He could have tried to find his way back to his house, but the prospect of spending the next few months wandering Japan didn't seem very inviting. 

"Sure, why not?" He said.

Ukyo smiled warmly. "Great! You can get settled in once I finish closing up." Her quick mind was already working out all the details. She stood and turned around, accidentally knocking over the glass of water on the counter. "I'm glad you said yes Ryoga. Let's see, you can probably work as a waiter. Assuming you can find the tables without getting lost, that is. And of course you're going to have to come to school with me too..."

Ukyo turned back around, wondering why Ryoga had become so quiet only to discover that he had vanished. There was a small puddle on the counter right in front of Ryoga's seat, on which his clothes now lay. The pile of clothes shifted slightly, and a small black piglet wearing an yellow and black bandanna poked it's head out from under them. Ukyo picked the piglet up by the bandanna and took it into the kitchen where she splashed a glass of warm water on it. Within seconds, P-chan transformed back into Ryoga, who crouched in Ukyo's kitchen naked and blushing furiously.

"Can you get me my clothes please!?" Ryoga pleaded.

Ukyo allowed herself to glance at Ryoga's muscular body a little before walking around the counter to get his slightly damp clothing. She handed him his clothes and stole one more quick peek before giving him his privacy. Ryoga came walking out of the kitchen a few moments later, his head hung low and his shoulders slumped.

"So...now you know my secret..." Ryoga said despondently.

Ukyo smirked at him. "It's no big deal. I knew already."

Ryoga looked up sharply. "You knew?"

"Well, yeah. First of all, there's the fact that you're so afraid of the water. Second, Ranma was always calling you things like 'P-chan' or 'Pig boy'. Third, P-chan and Ranma got along just about as well as you and Ranma. And fourth, you both wore that same, stupid bandanna."

"Hey, my bandanna isn't stupid!" Ryoga retorted.

Ukyo ignored that comment. "Considering how many Jusenkyo victims are already living in Nerima, it wasn't all that hard to figure out. I'm actually kinda surprised Akane hasn't noticed this stuff yet."

"So you knew all this time..." Ryoga stared at the floor. "Then why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Don't get me wrong, at first I wanted to beat the living daylights out of you. But you were my best chance at getting Akane away from Ranma. Had she known about your curse, you would have been one dead pig. As I got to know you better I realized that, aside from this, you're a really good guy. With all our plotting and scheming, you were the first real friend I had in a long time."

An awkward silence followed. Ryoga wasn't quite sure what to say. All this time, she had kept his secret. She knew that he was P-chan, yet she still became his friend. 

Ukyo interrupted the silence. "Let me show you to your room. We can talk about this later." She then started up the steps, checking behind her every few seconds to make sure Ryoga didn't make any wrong turns.

"Thank you Ukyo...for everything." He said once they were standing outside of his new bedroom.

"No problem, sugar. What are friends for?" She replied, giving him another of her warm smiles before heading off towards her own room.

Ryoga walked into the room and sat his backpack, containing the majority of his worldly possessions, on the floor. Just a little under an hour ago, he thought he had nothing. He thought he was doomed to spend his days alone. But he now knew that even if he didn't have the person that he loved, he still had a friend. He still had someone he could depend on. Someone to help him through the pain and the sadness. Maybe the world wasn't quite such a cold, dark, and lonely place after all. Unknown to Ryoga, in her own room just down the hall, Ukyo was thinking the exact same thing.

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_Author's Notes:_

_Thanks for reading chapter 2 of Crystal Hearts! Ryoga's now living and working with Ukyo! But what about Yagami and his myterious employer? And why does this mytery man want Ryoga's pendant so much? I can't reveal everything just yet, so keep reading! Ja ne!_


	3. Where the Heart Is

Crystal Hearts  
By Esor

**Chapter 3: Where the Heart Is**

[Monday]

Ryoga wanted the torture to end. He wanted it to stop, and time was running out. He knew that he wouldn't be able to take much more of this. His eyes blurred as he began to lose consciousness. Damn! He couldn't pass out, not now. He had to fight it. He had to be ready to make his escape at the first opportunity. But the frayed edges of awareness continued to slowly flutter out of his grasp. 

Then, the bell finally rang.

"Yes!!" Ranma shouted as he bounded out of the front door of Furinkan High School. "Sure feels good to get the heck outta there!"

"I know what you mean. I hate Mondays..." Akane replied, falling into step beside her fiancé.

Just behind Akane and Ranma came Ukyo and Ryoga. Ryoga was adjusting rather well to returning to school after a three year absence. Although the Lost Boy remained rather shy and awkward when it came to social interaction, academically, he was at the same level as the rest of the class. During the years spent wandering the Japanese countryside, Ryoga tried his best to continue his studies on his own. Not the most orthodox of educations, but effective nonetheless.

Ryoga had been living with Ukyo for nearly two weeks now, working as a waiter and dishwasher in her restaurant. Through the mutual comfort and support of their friendship, Ryoga and Ukyo were steadily working past the pain of lost love. Recently, they both decided that it was time to start healing the relationships with the former objects of their affection. The four now made a habit of walking to school together every morning, as well as walking back in the afternoon. 

"Hey Akane, Ukyo, why don't you two go on ahead? I gotta talk to bacon boy for a bit." Ranma said.

Ukyo favored Ranma with a rather skeptical look. "Okay. Just make sure he makes it back to the restaurant on time..."

Ryoga scowled at Ranma as Ukyo and Akane walked away. He did not need anyone, least of all this arrogant jerk, to babysit him. Ukyo kept telling him that someday he would have to learn how to get along with Ranma, but Ryoga considered that day to be a long way off.

"What do you want Ranma?" Ryoga snarled.

"Whoa, chill out Ryoga. I just wanna talk to you about something." Ranma said.

"What?"

"Did you know that Ucchan's birthday is this Friday?"

"Her birthday?" Ryoga said, the surprise obvious in his voice. "No, she never said anything about her birthday coming up..."

Ranma rested his chin on his palm, looking thoughtful. "Thought not. She didn't say anything to me either. Nabiki so...uh, told me yesterday." He looked up and gave Ryoga one of his usual triumphant smirks. "But don't worry, I already have a plan." 

"Oh great." Ryoga rolled his eyes.

"We're gonna throw her a surprise party!" Ranma said, grinning. "Akane's in on it too. She's gonna invite Ukyo over to the dojo Friday evening to work on a class project or something. Then the rest of us are gonna set up at the restaurant and wait for 'em to come back."

"What's with the sudden interest in Ukyo's birthday?"

"Well...I wanna do something nice for her. Ucchan's my best friend, and I kinda owe her for everything she went through these past couple years..." Ranma said solemnly, a look of remorse crossing his features.

This was quite possibly the first time Ryoga had seen Ranma look remorseful for something he did. Well, the first time he looked remorseful without being beaten senseless first, that is. "You know something Ranma? Sometimes, just sometimes, you're not half bad..."

"Hmph. At least I'm not a lunchtime snack, P-chan." Ranma retorted.

"I take it back, Ranma!" Ryoga replied. He pulled his ever present umbrella from atop his equally ever present backpack and swung at Ranma, who simply leapt backwards to avoid it.

"You want me pork butt? Come and get me!" Ranma hopped onto the nearby fence and began running. But when he finally glanced back over his shoulder, an empty street was the only thing he saw.

"Aw crap..." Ranma muttered, slowing to a stop. "Ucchan's gonna kill me..."

*****

[Tuesday]

Ryu Kumon groaned quietly as he began to regain consciousness. The first sensation he became aware of was pain. He silently cursed himself as he remembered what transpired just a few moments ago. Two strangers approached Ryu in the middle of the woods, demanding something. Never having been very fond of robbers, he attacked. In retrospect, that was a mistake. After losing to that bastard Saotome over a year ago, Ryu stopped training, allowing his body to grow clumsy, slow, and weak. He was beaten. Badly. He opened his swelling eyes slightly and looked towards the pair of blurry and indistinct figures standing several feet away.

"What the hell do you mean that's not the guy!?" Ryu heard one of the strangers shout.

"I guess I...was wrong. That's not him..." Another voice replied.

"You're useless, Yagami! Totally useless!"

"Look, it was an honest mistake. They look a lot alike. Black hair, bandanna, huge backpack..."

"Shut up, just shut up." The first stranger interrupted in an annoyed tone. "Let's get back on the trail. The sooner we find that guy and the pendant, the better."

Ryu tried to get up, ignoring the pain wracking his body, but his world spun around him. He collapsed back onto the ground, disoriented. With one final look to what were now nothing more than wavering shadows, he once again lost himself to the warm embrace of unconsciousness.

*****

[Wednesday]

The Hibiki household was one of the oddities of it's neighborhood. Children could often be found sitting on the sidewalk in front of the house telling each other stories about the practically abandoned building. They talked about the how family that once lived in the house were all slain by an escaped murderer who spared every other person living on the block during his bloody rampage across Tokyo. They talked about the weird woman who was obviously an evil, devil worshiping witch, not a maid as their parents claimed, who visited the house at least every other day. And sometimes they talked about the sounds that resembled barking dogs, but had to be the wailing of every soul in Japan that had been drawn to this magnet of supernatural activity. Today, however, they were all enthralled by the strange teenager who wandered up to the door and entered the house, never to be seen again until. 

Ryoga couldn't believe the sheer dumb luck of it all. After two days of trying to make it back to Nerima, he wound up at his house. Over a year had passed since his last visit and everything was practically unchanged. Immediately upon entering, Ryoga was besieged by Shirokuro and her puppies. He was glad that the maid his parents hired to look after the house in their absence also took care of the dogs. They seemed happy and healthy as they scampered around his feet, barking excitedly. 

Ryoga would have loved to simply sit down and spend hours playing with the faithful canines, but there was something else he needed to do at the moment. Despite the fact that they hardly ever spent any time at their house, the Hibikis always paid their bills on time and in full. Now that he had access to a working telephone, he could call Ukyo and get her to bring him back to Nerima. Of course, he actually had to find the phone first.

Employing tried and true Hibiki methods, Ryoga began his search for the phone. It was just a matter of time. The house only had so many rooms, after all. First stop, living room. No phone. Next, he tried upstairs. His parents room? No. The closet? Of course not. His room? Nope. The closet? Wait, been there already. Bathroom? Nobody used the phone while in the bathroom. Save for the last door, a china cabinet or something which was locked, Ryoga checked the entire second floor. Nothing. That left one place, the kitchen. Ryoga headed back downstairs and made a right in the living room. Then he stopped and looked around. Grass, sunlight, strange kids staring at him from behind a bush. Great, now he was outside. No problem, all he had to do was turn around and quickly walk straight back inside. So he did. And wound up across the street. Damn.

*****

[Thursday]

Lunch time at Furinkan High school was nowhere near as interesting as it used to be. Ever since the resident centers of activity, Ranma and Akane, finally decided to get married of their own accord, things hadn't been the same. There were no enraged rivals causing massive property damage on school grounds. No jealous love interests hatching crazy schemes to get that special someone to look their way. There were, of course, a few rumors going around about the new student who always wore that strange backpack and the bandanas. But much of the student body still felt almost as if some type of balance had been thrown off. Everything seemed downright...normal.

Ukyo sat alone by a tree, eating her okonomiyaki. She looked towards the school gates, almost hoping that jackass Ryoga would come walking through at any moment. For her, it was different than when he used to wander in and out of town at his own leisure. Everyone knew that he would be back to fight Ranma again, so nobody gave his periodic absences much thought. But now that she depended on him for something, she couldn't help but worry. Plus, there was the nagging little voice in the back of her mind saying Ryoga wasn't coming back. He would leave her all alone just like Konatsu did. Ukyo pushed those annoying thoughts out of her mind as she saw Nerima's favorite couple approaching.

Ukyo smiled slightly at the sight of Ranma and Akane holding hands, much to Ranma's discomfort. She felt a pang of guilt at the fact that she had yet to tell them about her upcoming birthday. It wasn't due to the fact that she felt uncomfortable around them. In fact, the once piercing pain of losing what she thought to be her one true love had mostly faded. A dull ache surfaced on rare occasions, but she was genuinely happy for her friends. The reason Ukyo told no one about her birthday was because she honestly didn't see it as all that important. She hadn't celebrated the day of her birth for over ten years, what did it really matter anymore? But she knew that the others would make a big deal about it and feel hurt that she hadn't trusted them enough to tell anyone. The last thing she wanted to do right now was hurt anybody's feelings, especially now that they were just beginning to grow close again. So she decided to simply say nothing and deal with the situation next year.

"Hey Akane, hey Ranma." Ukyo said cheerfully. "What's up?" 

"Hi Ukyo." Akane said. "You've been kinda quiet all day...we just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Oh, I'm fine. Just a little worried about Ryoga, I guess..." 

"Don't worry about it, Ucchan. Ryoga can take care of himself. He's been lost hundreds of times, but he always finds his way back." Ranma said.

"Ranma's right Ukyo. I'm sure Ryoga is fine." Akane chirped.

"I know, I know." Ukyo glanced up at the large clock on the front of the Furinkan High School building. "Well, lunch is almost over. Time to head back inside." She stood, gathered her books, and began walking back to school.

"Hey Ukyo, are you still coming over tomorrow night to work on Ms. Hinako's report?" Akane asked.

"Yeah. We can head over right after school. The restaurant won't go out of business from being closed for one night." Ukyo smiled and walked back inside the school building. Ranma and Akane, meanwhile, simply grinned broadly. Nearly everything was going according to plan.

*****

[Friday]

Ryoga thanked whatever fickle gods which had decided to reward him, or just pity him. He now stood on the street just outside of Ucchan's restaurant in the Nerima district of Tokyo. Judging from the setting sun in the distance, it was somewhere around eight o' clock. He smiled as he stepped up to the door and pulled out his key. It felt good to finally be home. During his week long trek across Japan, Ryoga had lots of time to think. It felt good to stop by his house and see Shirokuro again. But he realized after leaving that the house was just that. A house. He still loved his parents, but they were out there wandering Japan. Home was the place where the people you cared about were, where you felt you belonged. Somewhere along the line, during all of those fights with Ranma and attempts to proclaim his love for Akane, Nerima had become his new home. 

Everything was dark and silent as Ryoga walked into the restaurant. "Three...two...one..." He whispered.

"SURPRISE!!!!" The lights came on and a small group of people burst into the room, shouting.

"Oh wait...it's just Ryoga..." Ranma said dejectedly.

Ryoga took a moment to admire the decorations adorning the walls of the restaurant. This must have set Ranma back quite a bit. He probably now owed Nabiki the next ten years of his life to get all of this done in time. He also took notice of just how many people had come to wish Ukyo a happy birthday. Nabiki leaned back onto the counter, smirking at the disappointment written plainly across Ranma's face. Just beside the middle Tendo sister stood Kasumi, smiling pleasantly, as usual. Yuka, Sayuri, Daisuke, Hiroshi, and a few other people Ryoga recognized from school were also in attendance. But perhaps most surprising of all, Mousse stood off to the side, pointedly avoiding Ranma.

As everyone else began to relax, Ranma rushed over to the window, looking for the true target of their ambush. "Hey, I think I see them. Everyone, get back to the hiding place!" The lights went out and Ryoga followed everyone as they packed themselves into the small area behind the Ucchan's grill. A few minutes later, there was the sound of the lock being opened as Ukyo and Akane entered the room.

"SURPRISE!!!!" Everyone, with the exception of Ryoga, said for the second time that night. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UKYO!!"

Ukyo was frozen in shock. Just yesterday she worried about telling everyone about her birthday, and here they were throwing her a surprise party. It didn't even matter how they found out, she just couldn't believe that they all cared this much. Even Ryoga somehow made it back for this. Ukyo allowed Akane to lead her to a table near the front where a large birthday cake awaited, while the others began singing "Happy Birthday". As the last verses of the song died down, Ukyo briefly closed her eyes and blew out the candles. When her eyes opened again, they practically shone with unshed tears of joy.

"Thank you, guys...I...I don't know what to say..." Ukyo said in a voice thick with emotion.

"Don't worry about it, Ucchan! We're just happy we had the chance to do this for you." Ranma said. "Now c'mon, it's time to open your presents! He pulled a large box from beneath another table and handed it to Ukyo. "This one's from me and Akane! " She stripped off the wrapping paper to reveal a used, and slightly dented color television. 

"Let me guess." Ukyo said to Akane. "Ranma's idea?" Akane laughed and nodded slightly. 

Then, Mousse stepped up. Not even Ranma and Akane were entirely sure why he was there. No one at the party had spoken to Mousse or Shampoo since Ranma told her of his choice in fiances. Other than Kodachi, who always had a habit of overdramatizing everything, the Chinese Amazon reacted the worst to the news. She withdrew to her room for several days, speaking only to Cologne and Mousse. When she finally reappeared, she seemed to be back to her old self and returned to her duties Nekohanten. But many suspected she was merely putting on an act for the sake of her warrior pride. 

"Shampoo, Cologne and I would like you to have this." The young Chinese man said.

With a sweep of his robed arm, Mousse produced a brand new combat spatula. Ukyo handled the gleaming metal weapon reverently, admiring the exquisite craftsmanship. 

"Despite your...past differences, Shampoo respects you as a warrior. You have been a worthy opponent and, at times, a valuable ally." Mousse said. "She would have come to tell you this herself..." He shot a cold glare in Ranma's direction. "...but she was not feeling well."

"Thank you Mousse." Ukyo said, while testing the weapon's weight with a few practice swings.

"My pleasure." Mousse said, inclining his head. "Happy birthday, Ukyo." With that, he smiled and left the restaurant. 

Next, Ukyo turned expectantly to Ryoga. Under the scrutiny of his friend, Ryoga laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head.

"Lemme guess, you didn't have the chance to get her anything, did you Porky?" Ranma teased.

"Shut up, Ranma!!" Ryoga shot back. He pulled a small, silk wrapped bundle from his pocket and handed it to Ukyo. "Here...I, um, don't really know very much about this stuff...but I hope you like it..." 

Ukyo opened the bundle and removed a beautiful, tear shaped crystal pendant on a long silver chain. Her eyes widened at the thought of just how much this had probably cost Ryoga. On impulse, she swept the boy into a tight hug, causing him to blush slightly.

"Oh my god, it's so beautiful! Thank you Ryoga!" Ukyo squealed, releasing the rather embarrassed young man. "I'm gonna put it on right now!" She swept her hair back and clasped the pendant around her neck. A light shiver ran down her spine as the chain came into contact with her neck, but Ukyo payed little attention to it amidst her excitement.

  
  


*****

The people of Tokyo went about their nightly business, whether it be sleeping, working, or even celebrating. Unbeknownst to anyone, a figure stood just beyond the outskirts of the city. He stood silently, almost as if waiting for something or someone. When all this started, it seemed simple. Find some guy and a pendant. Easy. And although he hated the fact that his only description of either came from some worthless two bit hood, it was all he had to go on. Now, after spending over three weeks crisscrossing Japan, the trail led here. Whoever this guy was, he was good. But not quite good enough. With nowhere left to hide, sooner or later, he would be found. In the darkness, the figure smirked slightly. Then, this merry chase would be at it's end.

------------------------------------------------------------

_Author's Notes:_

_Hey! I finally finished chapter 3! Whoo! First up, I don't own Ryoga, Ukyo, or any other characters from Ranma ½. But you all new that already. Second, I want to thank all the people on ff.net who reviewed my story! It really helped me get my butt in gear to finish this chapter. So what's next, you ask? Well, the action's gonna pick up a bit as Ryoga comes face to face with the shadowy "figure" at the end of this chapter! Thanks for reading! Ja ne!_


	4. Visitors

_Quick Note: Now that I'm finally getting back into my writing, I decided to rework a few sections of this chapter since I was never particularly happy with it, before I started on the next one. Most of the changes I made are later on, in the second half._

Crystal Hearts  
By Esor

  


Chapter 4: Visitors

Okonomiyaki. For the past two years in the Nerima district of Tokyo, the word has been synonymous with a cute cook, a certain degree of out of the ordinary events, and a bustling little restaurant called Ucchan's. At Ucchan's, customers could always expect delicious food enjoyed in a pleasant atmosphere. The cook, a very attractive young woman named Ukyo Kounji, prepared and served each order with a friendly smile. The only problem with eating at Ucchan's was the fact that Ukyo was a martial artist as well as a cook. In most places, that fact wouldn't matter very much. But Nerima martial artists, especially the females ones with short tempers, were a bit like tornadoes: powerful, dangerous, unstoppable forces of nature. Despite this, Ucchan's had a fair number of regular customers.

On this bright and sunny Saturday, those regular customers of Ucchan's noticed two changes. First of all, a rather striking crystal pendant hung around Ukyo's neck. Second, the typically cheerful cook was, if at all possible, even cheerier than usual.

"Hey Ukyo!" Akane said as she, Ranma, and Nabiki entered the restaurant.

"Hi, guys!" Ukyo said, flashing a bright smile. Ranma waved, then sat down at a table while Akane and Nabiki walked up to the counter. "The usual?"

"Of course!" Akane said.

"Three specials, coming right up!"

"So, how does it feel to be 18?" Akane asked.

Ukyo shrugged. "Feels pretty much the same, actually..."

"Never mind that." Nabiki interrupted, crossing her arms. "Tell us, what's going on between you and Ryoga?"

"Nabiki!" Akane hissed.

"Oh c'mon, Akane. You know you've been dying to find out since last night!"

"Me...and Ryoga? What are you two talking about?" Ukyo asked, puzzled.

Nabiki smirked her classic Nabiki smirk. "I think you know what we're talking about. You and the Lost Boy certainly seem to have gotten pretty close over the last few weeks."

"Ryoga and I are just friends!" Ukyo retorted quickly.

"Really? Then tell me something. What kind of guy buys an expensive piece of jewelry like..." Nabiki gestured toward the pendant that hung around Ukyo's neck. "..._that_ for someone he thinks of as just a friend? "

"I have to admit, she has a point..." Akane said.

"I...he..." Ukyo replied, slightly flustered. To be honest, she didn't have an answer to that question. "...it's not like that!"

"Right." Nabiki said, still smirking.

"It's not!"

"If you say so."

"Quit it, Nabiki..." Akane interjected on her friend's behalf. "If Ukyo says there's nothing going on, then there's nothing going on!"

Nabiki leaned back, raising her hands in defeat. "Okay, okay. I'll leave her alone. But I'd keep my eye on that boy if I were you, Ukyo..."

Ukyo, rather relieved that Nabiki was off her case, tried to focus on preparing food for her friends. After a few seconds, however, her mind began to drift. She couldn't quite get what Nabiki said out of her head. Her and the Eternally Lost Boy? That was ridiculous. She looked up and saw Ryoga standing near Ranma's table, talking. Wasn't it? Yeah, he wasn't that bad looking, and he could be a real sweetheart at times, but it was still a silly idea. Ukyo's hand wandered up to the clear, shimmering crystal that hung around her neck. But what if Nabiki was right? What if Ryoga did have a crush on her? What if...? Ukyo's train of thought was interrupted when Ryoga suddenly glanced up. Their eyes met briefly before Ukyo quickly looked away, blushing.

*****

"Damned bastard..." Shiro Yagami muttered darkly as he walked down the street.

Back in Osaka, he was important. Well, maybe important wasn't quite the right word, but he had connections. Not that his new "partner" gave a damn, of course. Yagami hated way that arrogant hotshot bossed him around. He had to go out and search the streets while that lazy asshole made another report to their boss, probably taking all the credit. Yagami absently scratched his slightly crooked nose and scowled. It was all because of that stupid kid with the bandana. If he ever got his hands on that brat, he'd...

Yagami instantly froze as his gaze drifted over the window of a small restaurant across the street. Beyond the glass, the cause of all his recent troubles stood next to a table, talking with another young man. Yagami resisted his initial impulse to rush across the street and attack the youth, barely. He was under strict orders "not to do anything stupid" if he found the kid. Despite how much he hated it, he knew from experience that he couldn't handle this guy in a fight. His "partner", however, was more than capable of taking this punk down. Noting the sign hanging above the door, Yagami smirked as he watched the young man turn and look at something at the other end of the restaurant.

"Don't worry, kid. You'll get what's coming to you soon enough..." Yagami muttered before turning and walking away.

*****

"Okay, that's one original Okonomiyaki and one with......pork." Ryoga shuddered involuntarily as he handed the customers their food.

For perhaps the fourth or fifth time that day, Ryoga considered asking Ukyo to remove pork from the Ucchan's menu. He knew she wouldn't do it of course, the pork topping was one of their biggest sellers. And he wasn't afraid of accidentally winding up on the grill, either. Ukyo knew about his curse, so she would recognize him if he wandered into the restaurant in pig form. But the thought of serving small chunks of an animal he was so closely acquainted with unnerved him.

"Hey Ukyo!" Ryoga heard Akane call from the doorway.

Ryoga watched calmly as Akane and Nabiki headed over to the counter to talk with Ukyo. It was strange, a little over a year ago Ryoga would have been rendered a haplessly grinning idiot at the mere sound of Akane's voice. Now he found that a warm, friendly affection had slowly replaced the feelings of unrequited love that once surged within his heart. Smiling, Ryoga walked over to the table where Ranma sat to take his order.

"Hey, over here!" Ranma called as Ryoga veered off to the left. Ryoga, after several subsequent minor course adjustments, succeeded in reaching the table.

"Your usual order?" Ryoga asked, and was greatly surprised when Ranma suddenly punched him hard on the shoulder. "Ow!! What was that for?"

"For making my life a heck of a lot more difficult!" Ranma replied.

"What are you talking about?" Ryoga asked, rubbing his shoulder.

"What were you thinking, giving Ukyo that pendant? Ever since last night, Akane's been bugging me to get her something nice like that!"

"It's not my fault if you're not living up to Akane's standards!"

"If you want to romance Ukyo, fine, go ahead. Just don't make me look bad in the process!"

Ryoga's retort died somewhere between his brain and his lips as he stared at Ranma for a moment. "Romance Ukyo? What the hell do you mean, 'romance Ukyo' ?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Ryoga. We all saw you give her that pendant."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

Ranma rolled his eyes. "No guy buys something that expensive for a girl unless he's...ya know..._romantically_ interested in her."

"But I didn't buy that pendant. An old man gave it to me for beating up some robbers about a week before I came back to Nerima."

"Wait...you mean you're not trying to win Ukyo's heart?"

"No! I just gave it to Ukyo because I thought she'd like it!"

"Uh-oh. Nabiki and Akane were convinced that you have a secret crush on Ukyo...and they're talking to her right now..." Ranma looked toward the counter. "Ryoga...Ukyo's staring at you, man..."

Ryoga glanced up in Ukyo's direction. For a moment, his hazel eyes locked with her blue ones, then she blushed and quickly looked away. Ryoga, gaping, continued to gaze at her for a few more seconds before turning away as well.

*****

"Such a blush for someone who's just a friend?" Nabiki questioned as Ukyo turned her eyes away from Ryoga's face.

Ukyo replied with a frosty glare in Nabiki's direction, as Akane giggled. "Shut up, Nabiki." She then reached up, tucking the crystal pendant, cause of all the speculation about her personal life, into her shirt and out of sight.

"You have to admit that Ryoga's not that bad of a guy, Ukyo..." Akane said with a mischievous smile. "I mean, not only is he kinda cute, but he's a lot nicer and more polite than a certain martial artist I could name..."

"He's also dense as a brick wall." Ranma said loftily as he approached the counter, having overheard Akane's comments. "Ryoga's completely clueless. You shoulda seen the blank look he gave me when I mentioned him trying to hit on Ucchan, here..."

Despite herself, Ukyo sighed slightly in relief, thankful that it seemed as if Ryoga didn't have a crush on her, after all. She didn't need another friend and employee harboring feelings for her. Two friendships had already been nearly ruined, and a third completely lost, due to unrequited love. Even if...

"Heck, I betcha he doesn't even realize that girl is flirting with him..." Ranma said, bringing Ukyo's reflection up short as she looked once more in Ryoga's direction.

Across the restaurant, Ryoga stood taking the order of a girl around their age with rich shoulder length black hair. Clad in tight fitting clothes that hugged her rather ample curves closely, the girl leaned forward, accentuating those aforementioned curves. She fixed the nervously fidgeting young man before her with a smoldering gaze through half lidded green eyes, her full red lips tugging into a seductive smile as she spoke.

"The hottest girl in the restaurant, and that moron's probably got no idea she wants him..." With a knowingly confident smirk, Ranma continued, utterly oblivious to his fiancé's deadly glare. "If it were me over there, I'd wouldn't need someone to..." He paused as his brain finally caught up with his mouth. "Uh...I mean..."

"Ranmaaa..." Akane growled angrily, clenching her fist.

*****

Any other day, the resounding thwack of Akane's fist against Ranma's skull would bring a smug smile to Ryoga's lips. At the moment, however, the Lost Boy's attention was quite effectively diverted by the generously proportioned young woman sitting in front of him.

"Um...would you like something, miss?" Ryoga asked, wondering why the girl seemed to be staring at him rather hungrily.

"Well, you for one..." She said with a wink, immediately bringing a bright blush to Ryoga's face.

"I...uh...I w-was talking about f-food..." Ryoga stuttered, looking down at his shoes, pointedly avoiding the girl's eyes.

"Anyone ever tell you that you're pretty cute when you blush?" She giggled, causing Ryoga to blush even more. "My name's Rei...Rei Kusanagi. What's yours, handsome?"

"R-Ryoga Hibiki..." Ryoga stammered. "A p-pleasure to meet you, Miss Kusanagi..."

"Why so formal?" Rei cooed. "I was hoping we could get to know each other a little better, Ryoga. If you're not busy..."

"Order up!" Ukyo called from the counter, cutting off Rei in mid sentence.

"I...uh...need to go get that..." Ryoga said with a small amount of relief.

A brief look of annoyance crossed Rei's face as Ryoga began to back away from the table. "Ah well...I need to go, anyway." She stood and tossed the Lost Boy a rather sultry look before leaving. "See you around, Ryoga..."

*****

The morning pressed gradually on, as mornings often do, into afternoon. Other customers came and went, the crowd slowly diminishing down to a few quiet patrons. With nothing else left to do at the moment, Ryoga and Ukyo stood behind the counter, washing dishes. Ukyo cast a tentative glance to where Ryoga stood, not very far away, drying plates as she handed them to him. Unconsciously, she tugged the teardrop pendant from her shirt with her free hand, toying with it for just a moment. Ryoga had been quiet for quite some time, absorbed in his own thoughts.

Certain events of the day, namely Ranma's misunderstanding and Rei's blatant flirting, weighed rather heavily on Ryoga's mind. Since the day he discovered that girls weren't very disgusting, after all, romance had never been the young man's strong suit. Much of his experience in the area up until this point revolved around jealousy, loneliness, and heartbreak. True, Rei was extremely attractive, and seemed to be a nice enough person, but Ryoga didn't feel comfortable whatsoever under her aggressive attentions. Despite all the time he had spent with Akari, Ryoga had not changed very much from the shy, introverted boy he'd been two years ago. Even if he did find the confidence to pursue another relationship so soon afterwards, he was sure he would rather not rush into something he might regret later. As far as Ukyo was concerned, Ryoga felt a special kinship with the cute, perky chef. She had been through much of the same hardship as he had, while maintaining an infectiously upbeat attitude. They were far more alike than he once thought, and if anyone could understand how he felt sometimes, it would be her. After spending so much time with Ukyo, Ryoga now felt oddly protective of his friend, willing to do whatever he could to look out for her.

A slight breeze cut through the restaurant, causing both Ukyo and Ryoga to look towards the front door. A tall, dark skinned man stood in the doorway, clad in a black leather jacket, jeans and a dark blue t-shirt. Oddly colored steel gray eyes slowly swept across the room, cautiously scrutinizing everything in sight. The stranger's gaze settled on Ukyo and, with a slight smirk, he began walking towards the counter, his black boots making little sound as he crossed the room.

"Welcome to Ucchan's Okonomiyaki!" Ukyo chirped in English as the man sat down. Ukyo made it a point to learn how to take the orders of any tourists that might happen to come by the restaurant. "Can I help you?"

"I believe you have something I want." The stranger said in perfect Japanese, his eyes never leaving Ukyo.

"Um...excuse me?" Ukyo asked.

"That pendant." The stranger pointed to the teardrop shaped piece of crystal hanging around Ukyo's neck. "I want it."

"Um...it's not for sale if that's what you're asking."

"That's quite alright, I don't have much money with me, anyway." He smirked.

"Wait a second, just who are you?" Ukyo asked.

"That's not really all that important." He shrugged. "But I've been tracking your boyfriend here all across Japan for nearly a month." He turned his head and looked at Ryoga. "You've got a pretty powerful guy rather upset with you, kid."

"H-he is not my boyfriend!" Ukyo fumed indignantly under her breath. "Why do people keep thinking we're together!?"

"What the heck are you talking about?" Ryoga asked the man, puzzled.

The stranger raised one eyebrow. "You really don't know anything about this, do you? Hmm. It's probably better this way. Why don't you two just hand over the pendant so I can be on my way?"

"Listen, I don't know what your problem is, but I'd like you to leave." Ukyo said stiffly.

The stranger stood up and glared at Ukyo. "Sorry young lady, but I'm afraid I can't leave without that pendant. Trust me, it'll be a lot safer for you in the long run if you just cooperate now."

"I suggest you get the hell out of here, right now." Ryoga said angrily, stepping around the counter. No way would he let some stranger just waltz in and harass his friend like this.

"And if I don't?"

"I'll throw you out." Ryoga replied, crossing his arms.

"Today's young people." The stranger sighed. "Why do they always have to do things the hard way?" Quick as lightning, his arm suddenly lashed out, attempting to snatch the crystal teardrop from around Ukyo's neck. Ryoga reacted swiftly, however, grabbing the man's arm just as his hand closed around the pendant. "Heh. You're pretty fast..." He said calmly as he released his hold on Ukyo's crystal. The stranger then grasped Ryoga's arm with his free hand and turned, hurling Ryoga into the air.

"Ryoga!!" Ukyo shouted, watching as the young man twisted his body in midair to land on his feet. The stranger, meanwhile, hadn't moved from his place near the counter, standing there watching the younger martial artist. She could tell from Ryoga's dark scowl that the move surprised, and definitely angered him. Ryoga hurled himself at the other man, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks. Ukyo was shocked to see the stranger dodge and block each of Ryoga's attacks with what could only be described as near Ranma-like agility. He seemed to be watching Ryoga intently the entire time, studying him. After a few moments the stranger lashed out with his foot, slicing right through his opponent's onslaught to land a clean kick to the shoulder, sending Ryoga crashing into the restaurant's grill. Finally snapping out of her daze, Ukyo pulled her combat spatula from beneath the counter as Ryoga pulled himself off the wrecked piece of metal. If she didn't do something soon, the two fighters could wind up destroying her livelihood. Besides, it was as good a time as any to test out the brand new weapon.

"Hey!" Ukyo leapt over the counter, spatula raised high above her head. "NO FIGHTING IN MY RESTAURANT!!"

The edge of the massive utensil missed its target by inches as the dark skinned man leaned back. Ukyo used her downward momentum to spin on her heel, bringing her other leg up into swift roundhouse kick. Her kick was blocked, but Ukyo quickly planted both her feet firmly and swung the spatula back up, across the stranger's waist. He dodged the attack once again, and was preparing to counter when Ryoga, back on his feet, renewed his assault with a flurry of razor sharp bandannas. As he had with Ukyo's attacks, the mysterious martial artist dodged Ryoga's projectiles, allowing them to slice through several chairs and tables as they spiraled around the room.

Ukyo and Ryoga attacked in unison, driving the stranger back with punches, kicks, and spatula slashes. They pressed their advantage, attacking swiftly, but still not landing a solid hit. It was Ukyo who broke through the almost impenetrable defense first, slicing through the man's shirt and leaving a long, shallow cut across his chest. The temporary distraction was enough to allow Ryoga to slip in with a hard punch to the jaw followed by the duo delivering a pair of kicks to the abdomen. The man tumbled away, sliding across the floor from the force of the impacts, but recovered his footing quickly while clutching his stomach in pain. When Ryoga attacked again, however, the stranger ducked under her swing and tripped him, sending the over aggressive Lost Boy crashing into, and through, the wall. Ukyo grabbed a handful of her throwing spatulas, preparing to hurl them at the man when his own hastily thrown knife forced her to leap back to avoid being struck.

The stranger took the momentary confusion to swiftly make his way to the door. "Not bad, kids." He said, wiping blood from his mouth with a surprising grin. "That's the most fun I've had for some time. But you can bet this isn't over..." With that, he turned and disappeared. Ryoga and Ukyo both ran to the doorway to chase after him, but it was too late.

"Damn. He's gone..." Ryoga said, frustrated. He punched the wall to his right, cracking it, then winced slightly and then touched a hand to his shoulder.

"Are you okay, Ryoga?" Ukyo asked. 

"Yeah, I'm fine..." He lied.

Ukyo reached over and pulled back the collar of his shirt to reveal a rather ugly bruise on the shoulder where Ryoga had been kicked, bringing a frown to her lips. Ryoga was one of the strongest, no, the strongest guy she knew. This was a young man who had been slammed face first into solid rock, repeatedly, and walked away. A guy who could take almost inhuman amounts of punishment and barely flinch. She didn't want to think about who could possibly be strong enough to bruise Ryoga like that with a single strike. With a resigned sigh, she looked around her beloved restaurant, surveying the damage done during the unexpected fight. With her wrecked grill, many broken tables and chairs, not to mention the large hole in the wall, Ucchan's would likely be closed for several days of repairs.

Turning her attention back to Ryoga, Ukyo poked at the spreading bruise experimentally. "That looks really nasty..."

"Really. It's no big deal..." Ryoga said, suppressing a shudder of pain as she touched his shoulder.

"Don't play macho man with me, Hibiki." Ukyo said. "Sit down and let me get some ice for that." As she walked back into the kitchen, she happened to glance at her reflection in the mirror. A stray ray of light struck the crystal pendant around her neck, causing it to glow for just a moment. Ukyo couldn't help but wonder who the stranger was and why he wanted it so badly. Once again, her hand almost unconsciously found its way to the piece of jewelry. There was something going on that she didn't know understand, something big. And she had the feeling that whatever it was, this was only the beginning. 

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Author's Notes:

Okay, time for the happy disclaimers and whatnot. I don't own Ryoga, Ukyo, or any other characters in Ranma 1/2. Now that that's out of the way, thanks for reading chapter 4 of Crystal Hearts! It seems as if that trouble I mentioned in the summary is finally starting to catch up with our favorite quasi-couple. Tune in next time to find out what happens next! Ja ne!


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